Compliance Management

Litigation on the SEVIS Termination Issue

Description of the Issue: This description by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in a March 20, 2026 memorandum and order in the case of Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and Association of Independent colleges and Universities in Massachusetts v. Noem (

Department of State Plans Comprehensive Reorganization

May 30, 2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been communicating about a planned comprehensive reorganization of the Department of State (DOS), in a series of press releases. See: April 22, 2025 press release: Building an America First State Department, Press Statement, Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, April

A Primer on Withdrawal of SEVP School Certification

May 30, 2025

A Primer on Withdrawal of SEVP School Certification This NAFSA resource covers the basics of withdrawal of SEVP school certification. Under certain circumstances, a certified school’s approval to enroll F or M students can be withdrawn. 8 CFR 214.4. There are three kinds of withdrawal of SEVP

Current Issues: Legal Responses to Enforcement Actions Against Students

Attend this Regulatory Perspectives event for members. As we strive to keep up with the fast-evolving challenges and provide support to international students and scholars, NAFSA is diving deeper into issues related to the recent visa revocations, SEVIS terminations, and other enforcement against

Considerations on Reinstatement in the Context of ICE Initiated SEVIS Terminations

Challenges of Using the F-1 Reinstatement Process as a Part of a Legal Strategy to Address an ICE-Initiated Termination of a SEVIS Record DSOs may have been asked or wondered about using the F-1 reinstatement process as a part of a legal strategy to address an ICE-initiated termination of a SEVIS

State Department Announces Revocation of South Sudanese Visas

In an April 5, 2025 press statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department has begun taking action "to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders." Rubio cited the

House Committee Sends Letters to Several Universities Requesting Detailed Information on Chinese Students

Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), as chair of the House "Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party" (CCP), sent letters to six U.S. University presidents asking for written responses to numerouse questions regarding demographics, funding sources, research activities, security protocols, and post

Applicability of FERPA to International Students

Applicability of FERPA to international students Does the FERPA privacy act apply to international students, and if so, under what circumstances can a school disclose "personally identifiable records" that FERPA protects from non-consensual release? This page provides basic information about FERPA

ICE-Initiated SEVIS Record Terminations

In the Spring of 2025, NAFSA received numerous reports of SEVIS record terminations initiated by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). This page offers some background and frameworks for

Inadmissibility and Removal Based on Ideological Grounds

Possible Grounds of Inadmissibility and Removal Based on Ideological Grounds A number of statutory provisions in the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA) might serve as a basis for excluding someone from entering the United States (inadmissibility) or deporting them from the United States